


what's behind and what's before

by angstandcaffeine



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: M/M, if you havent heard spring 37 youre fine but this takes place after that, spoilers for spring 36, tall ephrim rights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-20 03:41:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19985497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstandcaffeine/pseuds/angstandcaffeine
Summary: Ephrim and Throndir reunite and talk about what's next for them.





	what's behind and what's before

The reuniting of the seven of them had been, in a word, emotional. Friends had held each other tight, comparing stories and checking injuries. Eventually, folks made their way out of the meeting room, one by one, having other people to see and hug and reassure, until only Ephrim and Throndir remained.

Across the room, Throndir paced idly. Ephrim stood still, worried, attempting to find the words-- how to break the news. He didn’t want Throndir to leave without knowing what was waiting for him, but he also didn’t know how to say it.

_ Hi, so, your friend Fantasmo? Whose killer you obsessively followed for ten years? Whose killer you ate? Yeah, he’s here. But he won’t remember you. _

Throndir interrupted his thoughts. “God, I leave you alone for two weeks, Ephrim…”

Ephrim jumped, a little. He didn’t realize Throndir had closed the distance between them. “Hey. We did everything we could to save this place.”

“I don’t mean that.” Throndir examined him closely, looking up into his probably very tired eyes. “I mean you. What happened?”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” His brow furrowed.

“I fought a god and lost. That’s all.” He tried to keep his voice as even as possible as he turned away. The last thing he needed was for Throndir to spend his time worrying about him. There were much more important things to attend to.

But Throndir was having none of it. He grabbed him by the left arm and spun him back around. “You fought Samot? Directly?”

“It’s kind of my brand, now.”

He frowned. “That’s not funny.”

Ephrim reached out, gently removing Throndir’s hand from the grip on his arm. “It’s okay. I think I’ve made my peace with it. Throndir, there’s something I need--”

“Made your peace with it?” Throndir’s hand wrapped tight around his wrist, as if to stop him from leaving. “Ephrim, how badly did he hurt you?”

He sighed. “This is not the time for this conversation. I need to tell you--”

“You’re acting as if you’re going to leave.” Ephrim expected to see his eyes bright with anger, but instead they were wide with fear. “Please, don’t leave.”

“I’m not going to leave, but…” He ran his free hand through his hair. He guessed this would have to be the moment for this conversation after all. “I don’t think that I have another fight like that left in me. My hand is far from better, and I think we are officially out of tricks up our sleeve.” He swallowed. “I might not be around for much longer, but-- let me finish,” he said, silencing Throndir’s protests. “But if I die, I want you to take my place as leader of the Last University.”

Throndir’s face froze, unreadable. Then he finally spoke, a single word: “Fine.”

He paused, cocking his head. “I really thought that was going to take more convincing.”

“No, yeah, I’ll totally take over the University after you die, because you’re not going to die.”

“Oh my god.”

“It’s not happening. Not on my watch.”

“Throndir,” he sighed. “I’ve thought about this. We don’t have any favors left from any gods, the new body thing doesn’t work in my case-- and you can’t step in and take the fall for me, which I know is what you were going to say, you self-sacrificial bastard.”

He smiled a little at that. “Ephrim, there’s still a way.”

“No, there isn’t. And that’s okay. My time on Hieron is coming to an end.”

“It doesn’t have to.” Throndir grabbed Ephrim’s hands. “I’m a  _ vampire _ .”

“Yes, I’m well aware of that.”

“I can do for you what Victoria did for me. I can turn you.”

“Oh.” 

He stopped, genuinely not having realized that this was a possibility. With him frozen, Throndir began to nervously ramble. Ephrim didn’t fully process that they had been holding hands until he suddenly let go.

“I know, it’s kind of a lot, and we totally don’t have to do it if you’re not comfortable, because you’ll have to join the Lance, and I don’t know what that means for your lordship, but--”

“Do it.”

It was his turn to freeze. “Are you sure?”

Ephrim nodded.

“The feeding sucks.”

“Pun intended?” Ephrim smirked.

Throndir groaned. “You’re gonna look like this forever.”

“I look great.”

“You’ll be stuck with me until the Heat and the Dark comes. They’d probably make us partners.”

“That was going to be true anyways-- or were you planning on leaving me to run this place alone?”

“Ephrim.”

“What?” He put his hand on his hip. “You brought it up, why are you trying to talk me out of it?”

“I just want to make sure you’re prepared.” He brought his hand to Ephrim’s shoulder, and Ephrim felt his face flush at the touch. “You seemed so certain before. I don’t want to deny you the choice.”

“I had decided that because thought I was out of options.”

“Well, come to me before you make a call like that.”

“You weren’t here.” Almost instinctively, Ephrim pressed in closer.

Throndir’s hand trailed up towards Ephrim’s collarbone. “I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s all right,” Ephrim smiled. “We’re stuck together now, you said?”

“I did say that.” He leaned in closer, murmuring now.

“Are you going to do it now?” Ephrim asked in a low voice.

“What?” Throndir pulled back suddenly. “No, we should probably plan it out, you’ll need to rest and then feed after.”

“Oh.” Ephrim’s face burned.

“No, um.” He was blushing too. “No, I was going to kiss you.”

_ “Oh. _ ”

Well, Throndir was full of revelations tonight, apparently.

“You know what, I’m just gonna go--”

“No no, Throndir, wait.” Ephrim grabbed him before he could leave and kissed him, tilting his face up to meet his. Throndir responded, immediately enthusiastic, pulling him down by the collar. Ephrim felt himself being walked backward until he was up against the wall, surrounded by Throndir.

They broke apart to breathe, Throndir grinning.

“I still need to talk to you.”

Throndir kissed him again. “Then talk,” he said, moving his attention to Ephrim’s neck.

He gasped. “Later, we can do this later.” He tried to remain composed, but that was difficult with Throndir’s lips insistent on his sensitive skin. “Trust me, you don’t want me to tell you like this.”

“After this long, I think I know what I want.” But he stopped, leaning against the wall, still very close, and looking up at him.

“Later. That’s a promise.”

“Okay.”

“But you have to promise that you won’t leave this room until I finish telling you what’s happened. And that we’re going to get through it together. Even though it’s going to be super weird and probably really shitty.”

“Okay,” Throndir said again, lacing their fingers together. “I trust you. It’s a deal.”

Ephrim smiled a little, reminded of the deal they had made before Throndir left (oh, how that seemed like ages ago), and carefully began to explain.

**Author's Note:**

> title from "after the storm" by mumford and sons
> 
> you can find me on twitter @angstcaffeine where i am very stressed about ephrim's TEN HIT POINTS. TEN


End file.
